Madison (originally Madison Station) is a former settlement, now a suburban neighborhood of northeast
Nashville, in the
U.S. state of
Tennessee. It is incorporated as part of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and
Davidson County.

The population of Madison's 37115 zip code as of the
US Census Bureau 2016 estimates was 40,146.[2]

Contents

Location

Madison is only 8.2 miles north at its closest point to downtown Nashville.[clarification needed] Ellington Parkway serves as a direct connection from downtown Madison to downtown Nashville with exits to Inglewood and East Nashville. Madison is located close to major highways and parkways: 65, 40, 24, Briley and local access roads St. Route 45 (Old Hickory) and Dickerson Road. It begins at Briley Parkway and extends to the Hendersonville line in Rivergate, from Dickerson Road to the Cumberland River.

Madison is one of 14 Community Plan areas in the Metro Nashville-Davidson County area for which zoning and land use planning is done. The 2015-updated Community Plan for Madison, an 89-page document adopted by the Metropolitan Planning Commission, was updated in 2015 as part of NashvilleNext's long-term planning.[3][4][5]

History

Madison Station post office was opened in 1857, when Madison Station was about eight miles from Nashville proper, roughly half way between Nashville and
Goodlettsville.[7] In the 20th century, Madison acted as a connecting suburb until being annexed into Nashville in 1963 due to the consolidation with Davidson County. Madison funnels traffic to Goodlettsville,
Hendersonville,
Gallatin,
Inglewood, and downtown Nashville.

Madison was once home to the "Hillbilly Day" festival. This festival was created as a fundraiser to benefit schools within the area. This fundraising festival included costumes, school events, and a parade. Madison's first "Hillbilly Day" was in 1952.[8]

Recreation

Three public parks are within Madison: Madison Park is located in the center of State Route 45, Delaware Avenue, and North Dupont Avenue. Peeler Park is located off of Neelys Bend Road at the end of Overton Road. Cedar Hill Park is located at the corner of Old Hickory Boulevard and Dickerson Pike.

Another source of recreation for the Madison community is Rivergate Mall, which is located at the corner of Conference Drive and Gallatin Pike North. This mall houses over 130 different stores, including mainstream department stores.

Transportation

Downtown Madison, Tennessee

Madison is a unique town in Nashville because of its easy accessibility via several major roads and interstates.

Major roads running through Madison are
Old Hickory Boulevard (State Rt. 45) and Gallatin Pike (
U.S. Route 31E). Dickerson Road runs along the west border of Madison. Briley Parkway (
State Route 155), with easy access to Interstates 24 and 40, runs along the south border of Madison. Interstate 65 has two main exits into Madison, one at Old Hickory Blvd, and the other at Rivergate shopping area. Ellington Parkway connects downtown Nashville to downtown Madison with exits along the way to key areas of East Nashville and Inglewood. Vietnam Vets Parkway is accessible off Conference Drive directly off Gallatin which links Madison and Goodletsville to Hendersonville and Gallatin.

Madison is on the rapid transit Metro bus lines. Madison boasts extensive walkability with several miles of sidewalks. Bike lanes were added in some of the newer asphalt in Madison and plans have been made to build a pedestrian and bike extension from Peeler Park to Stones River Park, which will connect Peeler key greenways leading to downtown Nashville.

Cemeteries

Madison is the location of the
Nashville National Cemetery. The Nashville National Cemetery covers around 64 acres and holds nearly 33,000 veterans as well as their spouses, and dependents. According to the National Park Service, the entrance to the cemetery is marked by a monumental arch which is, "one of five in the national cemetery system." [11] It and
Spring Hill Cemetery, across Gallatin Pike, delineated the generally accepted boundary between Madison and Inglewood prior to the construction of nearby
Briley Parkway.

Population

Sign located near the downtown Madison area

The population in Madison, as of 2010, was 37,316. The total number of households was 15,829. Average household income was $49,718.

However, because Madison features two major centers, Downtown Madison and Rivergate, the demographic study includes several surrounding communities in addition to the population information for Madison only.[12] Due to its vast resources, Madison directly serves communities in the area including East Nashville, downtown Nashville, Inglewood,
Whites Creek, and Old Hickory with the ability to attract patrons from all over Davidson, Sumner, and Wilson Counties.[13]